The Maple Leafs Found a Useful Player on the Oilers’ Waiver Wire

The Oilers Lost Stecher to the Maple Leafs on Waivers

Troy Stecher wasn’t going to make headlines in Edmonton. He was a depth defenceman, the kind of player you appreciate more when injuries hit than when you’re looking at the lineup on opening night. Last November, the Oilers put him on waivers, and Toronto claimed him. Fast forward to last night, and he scored a goal for the Maple Leafs in their 7-2 win over the Oilers in Edmonton.

Now, Oilers fans might be wondering whether Edmonton gave up on a useful player a little too easily. Stecher didn’t have a regular spot in Edmonton’s lineup. Before he was a Maple Leafs waiver claim, he had appeared in just six of the Oilers’ first 19 games and hadn’t played since October 30. With Alex Regula returning from injury and Zach Hyman coming back to the lineup, Edmonton needed to make room. Stecher became the odd man out.

That’s how hockey works sometimes. A player can be perfectly capable of doing a job and still find himself without one.

Sometimes a Change of Scenery Is All a Player Needs

Here’s the interesting part. Stecher hasn’t suddenly become a different defenceman in Toronto. He’s still the undersized, right-shot veteran who has spent years finding ways to stick in the NHL. What has changed is the opportunity.

Toronto has had injuries on its blue line. This season, Chris Tanev has gone down again, and the team needed players who could handle more responsibility. Stecher has stepped in again and earned his coach’s trust. For the second straight game, he responded with a timely goal. He scored a late-game winner against the New York Rangers, then found the net last night against his former team.

Stecher Has Taken Advantage of His Opportunities in Toronto

The goals are what people notice, of course. But I think the bigger thing is that Stecher is getting to play. He’s back in the lineup, getting regular minutes, and showing what he can do when someone gives him a real chance. In fact, he’s become a bit of a cult hero in Toronto because he plays with such enthusiasm.

I’m not going to beat up the Oilers over this. They had a full roster, Stecher wasn’t playing much, and something had to give. These things happen. A move can make sense at the time and still leave you wondering about it a few weeks later.

But here’s the thing about an 82-game season: you need good players who can step in when someone gets hurt or needs a night off. Sometimes it’s your seventh defenceman or a fourth-line forward who helps keep things together. They might not get much attention, but when you need them, you really need them.

The Oilers May Miss What Stecher Brings This Season

Stecher had played 66 regular-season games and eight playoff games for Edmonton before he left. He knew the organization, understood the demands of playing alongside elite talent, and had experience in difficult games. Toronto is getting a useful reminder that a depth player can mean more than his place on the depth chart suggests.

Does Stecher’s recent scoring mean Edmonton made a mistake? Not necessarily. Two recent goals don’t tell the whole story, and he isn’t suddenly a top-pairing defenceman.

But there’s a difference between a player who can’t help you and a player you can’t find room for. The Oilers may have had good reasons to move on. Toronto, meanwhile, has given Stecher a chance to remind everyone why he belongs in the NHL.

Sometimes another team doesn’t discover a hidden star. It simply gives a good player somewhere to play.

Related: Maple Leafs Crushed the Oilers 7-2. Now, How Do They Keep It Up?